Germany-based content creator Nyako has opened up about her experience living in Europe, saying she has little to show for nearly three decades spent abroad.
The TikToker made the remarks during a TikTok livestream on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, as she reflected on reaching 50 and questioned what she had achieved over the years.
Nyako said she had spent much of her time abroad working and paying taxes but had not made significant investments or built the financial security she had hoped for.
She described her experience as a cycle of going to work, paying taxes and repeating the process without accumulating much wealth.
“I am one of those people who have ripped nothing in Europe,” Nyako said. “Twenty years I have ripped nothing. Abroad is about going to work, paying your tax, go to work, pay your tax. Nothing much about it.”
Nyako reflects on getting older
Nyako also reflected on how quickly time had passed since she moved to Europe at the age of 23.
Now 50, she said reaching the milestone had forced her to question what she had achieved during the years she spent abroad.
She wondered how she had gone from being 23 to 50 and said she had little to point to after nearly three decades in Europe.
“Before you realise it, you are 50 years old. Like me, I went abroad when I was 23, and now I am 50; when did I become 50? How did I get to be 50? What can I show? All those years have been in Europe, nothing,” she said.
Nyako advises Kenyans to think carefully
Nyako also urged Kenyans who already have stable lives, families or relationships at home to carefully consider whether moving abroad is the right decision for them.
She argued that having a good support system or opportunities in Kenya could be more valuable than leaving in search of a better life overseas.
“If you have something going on for you in Kenya, stay there,” she said.
Nyako further argued that moving abroad does not automatically guarantee financial success.
She compared the financial struggles some migrants experience in Europe with those faced by people in Kenya, saying that some people abroad continue to live from one paycheque to another.
“Abroad is hand to mouth, like Kenya,” she said.
